This morning National Geographic Sea Lion was in a shroud of fog as we steamed toward the Inian Islands, the area that our early activities would take place. Luckily, as we anchored our vessel, the fog lifted, visibility increased, and we had great conditions for exploring this scenic and wildlife rich area by our inflatable boats! Even though we had some light rain, the incredible wildlife we encountered made for an exciting adventure. We had humpback whales resting on the surface close by our boats, as well as Steller sea lions busily feeding out in the very strong current that this area is noted for! Many bald eagles, sea otters, tufted puffins and a variety of other birds were also enjoyed by all! During lunch we repositioned National Geographic Sea Lion just a short way to George Island where we had a variety of different activities for the afternoon, including learning about World War II history in this area of Southeast Alaska.
7/18/2024
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National Geographic Quest
Freshwater Bay, Chichagof Island
This morning before breakfast, the bridge team of National Geographic Quest spotted orcas in Freshwater Bay. Eager to see this iconic whale species, the bow was quickly occupied by excited guests, staff, and crew. We could not have asked for better conditions. A sunny, calm morning with at least a dozen orcas! Wow! After breakfast we went ashore at Kennel Creek on Chichagof Island and split into aerobic, moderate, and casual walking groups. After yesterday’s wet forest at Fox Creek, we welcomed the firm, dry ground of an old logging road. Along our walks there were abundant signs of brown bears. One of the two aerobic walks had fresh bear tracks on top of their footprints upon their return. In the afternoon cruising down Chatham Strait, we enjoyed time on deck soaking up the sun when an eagle-eye naturalist spotted a group of humpbacks ten miles away! As we approached, we could see that this was no small group, as twenty-three whales were bubble net feeding! This day will long be imprinted in our memories of wild Alaska.